CINCINNATI – A member of the entourage of best-selling rapper T.I. was killed and three others were injured in a gun battle early Wednesday that began as a fight in a suburban after-hours club, police said. T.I., 25, was not hurt. Witnesses told police the fight began at a party …

WASHINGTON – A new vaccine that could put the pox on shingles for many adult sufferers of the often painful infection caused by the chickenpox virus has received federal approval, its manufacturer said Friday. Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) spokeswoman Christine Fanelle said the vaccine, Zostavax, was approved late Thursday …

WASHINGTON – Tears flowed in the White House theater Tuesday night at the conclusion of “United 93,” a movie about the plane that crashed in rural Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001 after passengers fought back against their hijackers. “It was a very emotional night,” said White House press secretary Tony …

NEW YORK – It was a one-two encounter between Axl Rose and Tommy Hilfiger. The rocker and designer capped a Thursday evening out at a new club called The Plumm in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood with midnight fisticuffs. “There was an issue between the two of them,” Plumm owner Noel Ashman …

BATON ROUGE, La. – A woman fatally shot by her husband after authorities said he killed four of her relatives at a church service had gotten a temporary restraining order against him last year. Erica Bell, 24, filed her request in December 2005, citing family violence. But, at her request, …

GENEVA – The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday deplored the refusal of the U.S. administration to allow its neutral delegates to visit people being held in secret detention. In an unusually strongly worded statement, the agency known for its discretion expressed disappointment that Secretary …

TAMPA, Fla. – A judge sentenced former professor Sami Al-Arian on Monday to another year and a half in prison before he will be deported in his terrorism conspiracy case. Al-Arian, 48, was sentenced to four years and nine months, but he will get credit for the three years and …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A judge’s decision to sentence a 5-foot-1 man to probation instead of prison for sexually assaulting a child has angered crime victim advocates who say the punishment sends the wrong message. But supporters of short people say it’s about time someone recognizes the unique challenges they face. …

WASHINGTON – The House voted Tuesday to choke off the flow of U.S. aid to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority, drawing the displeasure of the Bush administration and dividing the pro-Israel lobbying community. The measure, approved 361-37, would cut off aid to non-governmental groups working in the West Bank and Gaza …

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan – Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov gave approval for the construction of a seismological station near the ex-Soviet republic’s border with Iran, designed to monitor underground nuclear tests, official media said Monday. Niyazov signed an order authorizing the station’s construction in line with the country’s commitments under the Comprehensive …